Indie Theater Roundup: 7 Movies to See This Week

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If the idea of a Da Vinci Code sequel fails to move you – join the club – here's a list of some of the finest films currently in rotation at a San Francisco indie theater near you.

1. Rudo y Cursi
Where:Bridge Theatre, 3010 Geary Blvd., 415-751-3213
When: All Week
Why: Eight years after Y Tu Mamá También effectively launched their international careers, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna reteam for Carlos Cuarón’s slyly amusing tale of two ultra-competitive brothers whose primary interests are limited to playing soccer and drinking beer, though not necessarily in that order.

2. Outrage
Where:Embarcadero Center Cinema, 1 Embarcadero Ctr., 415-352-0835
When: All Week

Why: Oscar-nominated documentarian Kirby Dick (Twist of Faith) returns to muckraking form with a blistering exposé of gay politicians attempting to lead secretive lives and promoting homophobic agendas. Dick’s fierce indignation seems justified, his argument convincing, and his willingness to “out” a handful of closeted, mostly Republican lawmakers (including California Congressman David Dreier) comes close to shocking. But most compelling is his film’s central argument – that this very specified form of hypocrisy subverts democracy and marginalizes the freedoms millions of gay Americans hope to enjoy.

3. Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Where:Lumiere Theatre, 1572 California St., 415-885-3201
When: All Week

Why: Watching the members of Anvil, a Toronto-based quartet of hair-metal pioneers still looking to recapture the magic of the early ’80s, isn’t as amusing as Spinal Tap, because the humiliations and indignities they endure are depressingly real. But Sacha Gervasi’s powerfully affecting new documentary about the band leaves room for cautious optimism: These guys can play, and they’re going to keep doing it until the world starts listening.

4. Little Ashes
Where:Clay Theatre, 2261 Fillmore St., 415-346-1124
When: All Week

Why:Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson returns, not as a super-sensitive vampire, but as legendary artist Salvador Dalí. Curious? How could you not be?

5. Lemon Tree
Where:Opera Plaza Cinema, 601 Van Ness Ave., 415-771-0183
When: All Week
Why: After charming American audiences as the mother of an imprisoned immigrant in last year’s The Visitor, Hiam Abbass delivers an even more galvanizing performance here, as a Palestinian widow waging a personal war against the Israeli government over the fate of her beloved lemon grove.

6. Know Your Mushrooms
Where:Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St., 415-863-1087
When: All Week
Why: Inspired by a conversation with fellow filmmaker and fungi fanatic Jim Jarmusch, Ron Mann pays tribute to the world’s oldest living organisms in this strange and surprisingly engaging documentary, which tracks some of the goofier figures in the underground mushroom community (yes, one exists) and makes a case for mushrooms as potential saviors of the planet.

7. Enlighten Up!
Where:Opera Plaza Cinema, 601 Van Ness Ave., 415-771-0183
When: All Week

Why: If you think yoga can change the world – or, at the very least, one skeptic’s spiritual outlook on life – Kate Churchill’s new documentary should prove quite illuminating. Tracking journalist Nick Rosen’s induction into the world of a billion-dollar fitness craze that may or may not be a path to nirvana doesn’t get Churchill the results she was expecting, but his journey remains engrossing at every turn.

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